Award-winning Vietnamese restaurant opening first downtown Toronto location

An award-winning pho spot that's made a major splash in Ontario is finally gearing up to open its first downtown Toronto location.

Pho my god! It's happening! Mississauga's Pho Ngoc Yen is finally putting its roots down smack dab in the heart of downtown Toronto, widening the reach of their award-winning Vietnamese cuisine.

It's entirely conceivable that one might think that Toronto already has plenty of pho restaurants, especially in and around the downtown core, and that the addition of a new one could only really be a drop in the ocean. I am no such person.

Pho is basically its own food group for me, and plenty of my fellow Toronto residents at this point. Hungover? Pho. Woke up with a cold? Pho. Had the best day of your life? Forget popping champagne and squeeze a lime over a piping bowl of pho instead.

There's truly no wrong time for pho, and when it comes to Pho Ngoc Yen, that sentiment is only doubled.

The recipient of several awards throughout its lifetime, from six consecutive years ranking among the 100 best places to eat in Canada (Yelp) to a Canadian Choice Award in 2024, there's really no arguing that the bowls of noodle soup served up at Pho Ngoc Yen are the real deal.

Besides, it's not just pho that they're serving. At Pho Ngoc Yen, you can also mow down on a whole array of Vietnamese favourites, like Bun, vermicelli noodles topped with various meats, and Com Tam, also known as "broken rice."

After six years spent developing and perfecting their reputation in Mississauga, the family-run business branched out, opening their second location in Etobicoke in the summer of 2023, but downtown residents have historically had to make a journey if they wanted to know what all the buzz was about. Until now, that is.

Pho Ngoc Yen confirms that they're gearing up to open their third location near the intersection of Adelaide and Peter this spring.

"After months of planning and executing, the construction phase is nearly complete," a representative from the restaurant tells me, noting that, while the exact opening date has yet to be determined, they're aiming for the beginning of May.

"As a family, we are excited to share this news with our valued customers, family and friends," a representative from Pho Ngoc Yen tells me.

"We are truly blessed with your support over the years. We are overjoyed with the opportunity to serve  authentic Vietnamese cuisine to our customers downtown Toronto."

You can keep up with the latest updates on Pho Ngoc Yen's latest location by following them on Instagram, they add.